It seems as if we may be turning the corner. I don’t think we’re entirely around the bend yet, but
it seems as if things are looking up.

Archie looked great this morning. Although his breathing was still strained, it appeared much easier
than it has been for a while. He slept easy during the majority of my visit, even though he seemed
to have a few intermittent bouts with nausea. When the poor little guy starts to gag he pulls his
legs and arms into his chest and turns his head to cough. Archie actually spit up twice or three
times this morning. I rubbed his back and wiped the spit off his lips. Dr. Ferlauto said that the
nausea is a side effect of one of Archie’s heart medications, and that it would subside once he and
Dr. Horne found the correct dosage for our little guy.

I was present when Dr. Ferlauto examined Archie and reviewed his blood work. The little guy’s
calcium is within range, and although Archie’s uric acid is a little off Dr. Ferlauto is fine with
the count, contributing the inequity to the chemotherapy preparation drug Archie was given all day
Saturday. “Everything is looking good from my standpoint,” he said. Dr. Ferlauto was even more
excited when Dr. Hayes came in to exam Archie and announced that the baby’s white blood cell count
was at 50,000, the lowest it’s ever been since Archie’s birth.

Dr. Ferlauto and Dr. Hayes continued to argue about the placement of Archie’s liver. Dr. Ferlauto
holds that the liver is still low, although Dr. Hayes believes that the liver is moving back up to
its correct location. Dr. Ferlauto made another mark with his pen on Archie’s abdomen to aid him in
tracking the changes in the liver’s position.

Archie fussed and fought the doctors throughout their exams. Dr. Ferlauto told me that Archie has a
lot of “spunk,” and that he was happy of it. He also told me that two nurses had to hold Archie down
when Dr. Ferlauto did the spinal tap last Friday. “I got it on the first stick, no problem,” he
explained. “But he fought me.”

I have to admit that I was happy to hear that Archie was able to put up a fight when he felt his
crappiest.

Dr. Ferlauto also ordered blood drawn for an F.I.S.H. on the 22nd chromosome. We hope to get to the
bottom of the calcium deficiency by definitively diagnosing DiGeorge syndrome.

Archie is now back on breast milk. The food is given to him continuously by feeding tube. The
nurses are fortifying the milk with additives to help Archie gain weight easier and faster. I think
we’re starting down the road of packing on pounds in preparation for Archie’s surgery.

The baby also had two stools this morning. They were an odd color, but the nurse said that could be
the billirubin passing through the baby’s system. I think she may be right as Archie is looking
pinker and less orange today.

The very best part of this morning’s visit was when Archie was awake and social for about a half
hour. He watched me as I talked to him and his hand found his mouth. Together we invented a game
where I would exaggeratedly kiss his check and he would follow me with his eyes and then make this
surprised look when I pulled away. Now I know what parents mean when they talk about the special
sort of love they have for their children.